With $5 million boost to Shore Line East, proponents remember Steever's legacy
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May 9—As proponents of Shore Line East celebrated an additional $5 million in funding and vowed to continue to advocate for full restoration of service, they remembered the late Zell Steever of Groton and his role in advocating for rail and the environment.
"Every step of the way, Zell was there," said state Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, D-Groton, who called Steever a dear friend and mentor.
State Department of Transportation spokesperson Samaia Hernandez said the $5 million ― approved by the legislature from American Rescue Plan Act funding ― means two additional morning and two additional evening trains, bringing the total number of daily trains from 16 to 20.
Since Amtrak owns the rail line, the DOT is coordinating with them about service and schedule adjustments, she said.
"If this is approved, we'd expect the additional services to start by the end of 2024," Hernandez said.
While Bumgardner said the funding will not fully restore service to pre-pandemic levels, it's still a "significant win," particularly as the region seeks to demonstrate a need for the service in support of the extension of Shore Line East to Westerly, R.I.
The potential expansion and addition of train stations was the subject of a study published in September. Steever showed up to every meeting and presentation to advocate for the region and town, Bumgardner said.
Bumgardner said every interaction with Steever, a member of the Connecticut Public Transportation Council and the chair of the Groton Resilience and Sustainability Task Force since its founding, provided endless opportunities for education on issues ranging from transportation to environmental quality.
Steever, 82, who died April 15, was an ecologist/biologist who worked on water resources management and wetlands protection on the state and federal level, according to his obituary; Locally, he advocated for the environment, including by convincing the town to hire a full-time staff member to focus on climate change.
State Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, who sat with Steever before he testified, said he was a true advocate and environmentalist. She said Steever, a beloved member of the Noank community, was determined, focused, knowledgeable, smart, and "a kind, gentle soul."
She said it was great for the region to have a champion with a stalwart determination to increase Shore Line East train service.
"He had this amazing dedication, and it's a real loss to our region for his advocacy, but also personally, he's just a wonderful man, and my condolences go to his family and friends, and he will not be forgotten," Somers said.
State Sen. Christine Conley, D-Groton, said Steever was so helpful in testifying in support of Shore Line East and getting people in the community to voice their support. She said he was a great advocate not only for transportation but also for the environment and so many issues.
She recalled that Steever, who was retired, often would wake up early to discuss a variety of bills over breakfast at Buford's Family Restaurant in Groton before Conley went to work.
Connecticut Public Transportation Council Chairman James Gildea credited the additional funding to the leadership of state Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, co-chair of the Connecticut General Assembly's Transportation Committee, and the many important voices along the way. He said Steever was one of those important voices.
"Zell was one of the many loyal and dedicated advocates who played a role in getting the additional service," Gildea said.
Cohen said it took persistence and negotiation to secure just a portion of the funds that will be needed to fully restore service.
"I know that connectivity is so important to my constituents, and while I am proud of the progress achieved this session, I am eager to continue the fight," she said. "I wish Zell Steever could have been witness to this success that he played such an integral role in as a staunch rail advocate and member of the CT Transportation Council, but we will continue on in his memory."
His widow, Elizabeth Raisbeck, said: "Zell would have said, 'Great first step to renewing our commitment to local train service. Keep on going and let's see local trains stopping in Groton, Mystic, Stonington and Westerly in the very near future!'"
